LG flexible display phone coming this year

LG has announced that a smartphone with flexible OLED screen will launch before the end of 2014.

A flexible display doesn’t mean a flexible phone — circuitry and batteries are still decidedly rigid, so don’t expect to be able to fold the device in half and stick it in a shirt pocket. However, do expect a device with a curved, rather than a flat display, and one that, thanks to OLED technology, could boast a remarkable resolution.

Curving the screen around and over the sides of the device could also offer a number of possibilities in terms of extra buttons and touch points for other features. However, it is not yet clear how the extra display space that a curved screen would offer is best used.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal this week, LG vice president of mobile, Yoon Bu-hyun revealed the plans after he had earlier alluded to “something big” coming before the end of the year during the company’s earnings call.

But apart from announcing its imminent arrival, LG has not provided any further details as to features, dimensions or even resolution. However, along with Samsung and Nokia, it is one of the companies at the forefront of the technology — last year it started producing flexible-display e-readers. Meanwhile, LG’s biggest direct competitor, Samsung, has also invested heavily in flexible display technology in recent years and even showcased a prototype curved screen smartphone at this year’s CES in January. However, it currently has no plans to put the prototype into production.